SUMMIT COUNTY - Following today’s announcement from Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI), part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), announced that premiums for individual health insurance plans from Peak Health Alliance in Summit County will see decreases ranging from 39 to 47 percent state, and local officials along with health care experts reacted to the news.

“I am so proud to be a part of a community that is tackling the backbreaking costs of health care with new and innovative ideas. The Peak Health Alliance is dramatically reducing health insurance premiums for the working people of Summit County and I hope we can be a model for what is possible statewide,” said Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon.

"The work of the PEAK Health Alliance is truly a game-changer for the state. Their leadership helped my colleagues and I to craft a bill at the legislature this year (SB19-1004) that got passed and signed into law by Gov. Polis that will now be a way to spread the success and innovation of PEAK to communities all over the state and ensuring that more people have access to affordable, community-based health insurance. For example, Eagle County is already using PEAK's model and the new state law to offer a plan in our community and I expect this start happening in every corner of Colorado soon,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon.

“The Peak Health Alliance is an exciting opportunity for the state to innovate on how to lower health care rates, and I couldn’t be more thrilled for this partnership with Summit County. The potential for other communities to learn from and implement its success could be a game changer for making health care more affordable in Colorado,” said Senator Kerry Donovan, D-Vail.

“The cost of living in our community is one of the highest in the state, and health care costs are one of the main drivers of that financial burden. The Summit Foundation was pleased to be able to help lead this effort digging into the data and coming together to create an innovative solution that will give people some real relief,”Jeanne Bistranin Executive Director of The Summit Foundation.

“We are excited to be working with Peak Health Alliance and with our long-time partner, Centura Health, to make healthcare simpler, personal and more affordable for Summit County residents,” Jodie Uhl Bright Health Vice President.

“St. Anthony Summit Medical Center has been Summit County’s leading health care provider for more than 40 years, and throughout that time we’ve remain committed to fulfilling Centura Health’s mission of caring for those who are ill and nurturing the health of the people in our community,” said Mark Carley, president of managed care for Centura Health. “Fulfilling that mission also means seeking solutions to health care’s most vexing challenges, including cost. We at Centura Health and St. Anthony Summit Medical Center are proud to be at the forefront of this innovative, collaborative approach to reducing health care costs for our community,” Mark Carley, President of Managed Care for Centura Health.